Religion and Tribes

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The LDS Church is Just Another Man-Made Religion

One of the hardest truths to face when stepping back from Mormonism is this: The LDS Church is just a man-made religion, no more divinely authoritative than any other.

That sentence alone might feel heavy, especially for a “true believing Mormon” (TBM). It cuts directly against the foundation of everything the Church claims about itself—that it is the “one true church,” the only organization on earth with the priesthood authority of God, the sole custodian of ordinances required for salvation, and the only path back to God’s presence.

But if the evidence is weighed without the pressure of inherited assumptions, a different picture emerges. Mormonism is a tribe, a community that mixes religion, culture, history, and identity into one. It is a tribe—not the one.

Many thinkers agree that religions are man-made, rather than the inverse. These include Karl Marx’s “Man makes religion, religion does not make man,” and Christopher Hitchens’ assertion that “Religion is man-made. Even the men who made it cannot agree on what their prophets or redeemers or gurus actually said or did”. Others emphasize the human origins of religious institutions and beliefs, like Bangambiki Habyarimana ,stating “All religions are man-made; God has not yet revealed himself beyond doubt to anybody,” and another view that “Religion was invented when the first con man met the first fool”.

"What if we picked the wrong religion? Every week we're just making God madder and madder." - Homer Simpson
“What if we picked the wrong religion? Every week we’re just making God madder and madder.” – Homer Simpson
  • “Religion is man-made, spirituality is divine.” – Billy Porter, Unprotected: A Memoir
  • “Man makes religion, religion does not make man. Religion is indeed man’s self-consciousness and self-awareness as long as he has not found his feet in the universe.” – Karl Marx, Selected Writings in Sociology and Social Philosophy
  • “All religions are man-made; God has not yet revealed himself beyond doubt to anybody.” – Bangambiki Habyarimana, Pearls Of Eternity 
  • “Religion was invented when the first con man met the first fool.” – Unknown, often attributed to Mark Twain or Robert G. Ingersoll.
  • “Whether religion is man-made is a question for philosophers or theologians. But the forms are man-made. They are a human response to something.” – Mircea Eliade 
  • “I believe religion is man-made.” – Amar’e Stoudemire
“Thus the mildest criticism of religion is also the most radical and the most devastating one. Religion is man-made. Even the men who made it cannot agree on what their prophets or redeemers or gurus actually said or did. Still less can they hope to tell us the "meaning" of later discoveries and developments which were, when they began, either obstructed by their religions or denounced by them. And yet—the believers still claim to know! Not just to know, but to know everything. Not just to know that god exists, and that he created and supervised the whole enterprise, but also to know what "he" demands of us—from our diet to our observances to our sexual morality. In other words, in a vast and complicated discussion where we know more and more about less and less, yet can still hope for some enlightenment as we proceed, one faction—itself composed of mutually warring factions—has the sheer arrogance to tell us that we already have all the essential information we need. Such stupidity, combined with such pride, should be enough on its own to exclude "belief "from the debate. The person who is certain, and who claims divine warrant for his certainty, belongs now to the infancy of our species. It may be a long farewell, but it has begun and, like all farewells, should not be protracted.”Christopher Hitchens (1949–2011), Author and Journalist, God is Not Great, p.10-11 | wasmormon.org
“Thus the mildest criticism of religion is also the most radical and the most devastating one. Religion is man-made. Even the men who made it cannot agree on what their prophets or redeemers or gurus actually said or did. Still less can they hope to tell us the “meaning” of later discoveries and developments which were, when they began, either obstructed by their religions or denounced by them. And yet—the believers still claim to know! Not just to know, but to know everything. Not just to know that god exists, and that he created and supervised the whole enterprise, but also to know what “he” demands of us—from our diet to our observances to our sexual morality. In other words, in a vast and complicated discussion where we know more and more about less and less, yet can still hope for some enlightenment as we proceed, one faction—itself composed of mutually warring factions—has the sheer arrogance to tell us that we already have all the essential information we need. Such stupidity, combined with such pride, should be enough on its own to exclude “belief “from the debate. The person who is certain, and who claims divine warrant for his certainty, belongs now to the infancy of our species. It may be a long farewell, but it has begun and, like all farewells, should not be protracted.”Christopher Hitchens (1949–2011), Author and Journalist, God is Not Great, p.10-11

“Thus the mildest criticism of religion is also the most radical and the most devastating one. Religion is man-made. Even the men who made it cannot agree on what their prophets or redeemers or gurus actually said or did. Still less can they hope to tell us the “meaning” of later discoveries and developments which were, when they began, either obstructed by their religions or denounced by them. And yet—the believers still claim to know! Not just to know, but to know everything. Not just to know that god exists, and that he created and supervised the whole enterprise, but also to know what “he” demands of us—from our diet to our observances to our sexual morality. In other words, in a vast and complicated discussion where we know more and more about less and less, yet can still hope for some enlightenment as we proceed, one faction—itself composed of mutually warring factions—has the sheer arrogance to tell us that we already have all the essential information we need. Such stupidity, combined with such pride, should be enough on its own to exclude “belief “from the debate. The person who is certain, and who claims divine warrant for his certainty, belongs now to the infancy of our species. It may be a long farewell, but it has begun and, like all farewells, should not be protracted.”

Christopher Hitchens (1949–2011), Author and Journalist, God is Not Great, p.10-11
https://archive.org/details/godisnotgreathow00chri/page/n9/mode/2up

Tribes, Not the One True Tribe

Humans have always organized themselves into tribes. Some are built around geography, some around family, some around shared values, rituals, or spiritual ideas. Religions are, at their core, human tribes.

Mormonism is one such tribe. It has:

  • Founders and origin stories (Joseph Smith, the gold plates, the First Vision).
  • Sacred rituals (baptism, sacrament, temple rites).
  • Rules and taboos (Word of Wisdom, modesty codes, sexual purity standards).
  • Community identity (wards, stakes, callings, missions, family history).

In many ways, this tribal system is powerful. It creates belonging, purpose, and a shared sense of meaning. Many people find great benefit in it.

But here’s the crucial thing: Mormonism is just one of many tribes. It does not have a monopoly on truth, goodness, or connection to the divine. Religious belief, like history itself, is a story that is always unfolding, always subject to inquiry and ripe for questioning. For without doubt there is no faith. Religious belief itself is an adaptation that has evolved because we’re hard-wired to form tribalistic religions.

Comic with two people in a boat watching a third person climb overboard, they say: "Stay in the boat!" and "You'll drown out there!" The person disregards their warnings and climbs out saying, "You guys realize we're on land, right?" Those in the boat can't comprehend and simply state to each other, "I feel so sorry for him." Meanwhile the person who is free says, "I'm gonna go do land stuff. Good luck with all... this." https://www.crustaceansingles.com/2016/03/stay-afloat.html
Comic with two people in a boat watching a third person climb overboard, they say: “Stay in the boat!” and “You’ll drown out there!” The person disregards their warnings and climbs out, saying, “You guys realize we’re on land, right?” Those in the boat can’t comprehend and simply state to each other, “I feel so sorry for him.” Meanwhile, the free person says, “I’m gonna go do land stuff. Good luck with all… this.” https://www.crustaceansingles.com/2016/03/stay-afloat.html

Religious instincts are a product of evolutionary and biological processes that strengthened social bonds and helped ancient groups survive. A tendency for in-group loyalty and a supernatural agency detection device are innate human traits that developed over time, making religion a continuation of our prehistoric social and survival needs. The need for social cohesion was crucial for survival in early human history. Rituals and religion provided a way to create strong communal bonds and a shared identity, which helped groups protect themselves and compete for resources. 

Evolutionary psychologists propose that the human brain developed a tendency to detect “agency” or intention in the environment to avoid potential predators. This instinct, known as the hyperactive agency detection device (HADD), may have evolved to be “hyperactive” as a survival advantage, leading individuals to perceive non-existent agents in ambiguous situations, which can form the basis for believing in supernatural beings.

Human social interactions are far more complex than those engaged in by any other species, and they would fail utterly without the ability to make reasonably good guesses about what’s going on in the minds of other people. In other words, we try to explain and even predict other people’s behavior by attributing to them specific thoughts and feelings that lead them to act in particular ways.

Since we’re already in the habit of seeing others as intentional agents—that is, as beings capable of choosing their own actions—it’s but a small step toward attributing thoughts and feelings to what are most likely mindless objects. For instance, we’ll say that our malfunctioning computer has a mind of its own. Or we plead with our car to please start on a cold winter’s morning. Young children often attribute intentions to natural phenomena, as do people living in hunter-gatherer societies.

Organized religion arose in tandem with the development of agriculture and complex societies. Belief systems in organized religion also tend to be more abstract than they are in animistic thinking. In other words, vague beliefs in the mentality of natural phenomena give way to established creeds about divine personalities that may even take on the shape of a human, animal, or mixture of the two. Gods are persons—even if they’re only imagined—and when we think about our gods or pray to them, the same areas of our brains light up as when we’re interacting with other people.

Indeed, the very idea of beseeching a divinity to intercede on our behalf is a hallmark of organized religion. No doubt this practice hearkens back to our early childhood when we were utterly dependent on our elders, who made decisions for us that we didn’t want, but who could also sometimes be dissuaded by special pleading.

David Ludden Ph.D. This Is Your Brain on Religion, The neuroscience of religious belief, February 15, 2020
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/talking-apes/202002/is-your-brain-religion

Humans also have a fundamental need to belong and identify with a group, a drive that is deeply ingrained and central to our psychology. Tribalism is rooted in a tendency to favor one’s own group (in-group) and be wary of those who are different (out-group). This can foster strong loyalty within the group but also lead to prejudice against outsiders. 

The LDS Obsession with Authority and Truth

Mormonism’s particular distinction is its extreme emphasis on Truth and Authority. The Church insists that:

  • It is the only true and living church on the earth (D&C 1:30).
  • Its leaders alone hold God’s priesthood authority.
  • Ordinances performed outside its authority are invalid.

This is an audacious claim, and one that draws people in. Who wouldn’t want certainty in a world full of uncertainty? Who wouldn’t want to believe their tribe isn’t just another tribe, but the chosen tribe?

And yet, history, science, and human experience repeatedly show that Mormonism has no more truth or authority than any other religious system. Its scriptures show human fingerprints. Its leaders make mistakes and change doctrines. Its truth claims cannot be substantiated outside of faith.

For many, recognizing this truth is liberating. For others, it is devastating.

“Religious belief appears to be a human universal. Like language and other cultural systems, the exact religious beliefs that people hold in their lives depend heavily on early social experiences. Just as we grow up learning to speak the language of our family and community, so it is that we come to accept their religious beliefs as our own. Despite this obviously learned component of religion, the fact that all known societies exhibit some form of religious belief strongly suggests that there’s an innate component to human religiosity.” - David Ludden Ph.D., Psychology Professor, This Is Your Brain on Religion, 2020 | wasmormon.org
“Religious belief appears to be a human universal. Like language and other cultural systems, the exact religious beliefs that people hold in their lives depend heavily on early social experiences. Just as we grow up learning to speak the language of our family and community, so it is that we come to accept their religious beliefs as our own. Despite this obviously learned component of religion, the fact that all known societies exhibit some form of religious belief strongly suggests that there’s an innate component to human religiosity.” – David Ludden, Ph.D., Psychology Professor, This Is Your Brain on Religion, 2020

Religious belief appears to be a human universal. Like language and other cultural systems, the exact religious beliefs that people hold in their lives depend heavily on early social experiences. Just as we grow up learning to speak the language of our family and community, so it is that we come to accept their religious beliefs as our own.

Despite this obviously learned component of religion, the fact that all known societies exhibit some form of religious belief strongly suggests that there’s an innate component to human religiosity…

The eighteenth-century philosopher Voltaire famously quipped: “If God did not exist, we would have to invent him.” In the twenty-first century, neuroscience has shown us that our brains may indeed be hardwired for religious belief.

David Ludden Ph.D. This Is Your Brain on Religion, The neuroscience of religious belief, February 15, 2020
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/talking-apes/202002/is-your-brain-religion

What It Means for a True Believing Mormon

For a TBM, hearing that Mormonism is “just another man-made religion” can feel like blasphemy. It threatens the very foundation of faith, identity, and belonging.

But what if we reframe it?

  • What if recognizing Mormonism as a tribe allows us to appreciate its good while letting go of its false exclusivity?
  • What if this perspective frees us to see other religions, philosophies, and spiritual practices as equally valid paths to meaning?
  • What if acknowledging the man-made nature of Mormonism gives us permission to claim our own authority, rather than outsourcing it to men in Salt Lake City?
"There are some who are afraid the Church may not be true and who spend their time and attention slogging through the swamp of the secondary questions. They mistakenly try to learn the truth by process of elimination, by attempting to eliminate every doubt. That is always a bad idea. It will never work... Each time you track down an answer to any one antagonistic claim and look up, there is another one staring you in the face. Answers to the primary questions do not come by answering the secondary questions. There are answers to the secondary questions, but you cannot prove a positive by disproving every negative. You cannot prove the Church is true by disproving every claim made against it. That will never work. It is a flawed strategy... although we may not know the answer to every question, we must know the answers to the primary questions." - Lawrence E. Corbridge, LDS Seventy, BYU Devotional, Stand Forever, January 22, 2019 | wasmormon.org
“There are some who are afraid the Church may not be true and who spend their time and attention slogging through the swamp of the secondary questions. They mistakenly try to learn the truth by process of elimination, by attempting to eliminate every doubt. That is always a bad idea. It will never work… Each time you track down an answer to any one antagonistic claim and look up, there is another one staring you in the face. Answers to the primary questions do not come by answering the secondary questions. There are answers to the secondary questions, but you cannot prove a positive by disproving every negative. You cannot prove the Church is true by disproving every claim made against it. That will never work. It is a flawed strategy… although we may not know the answer to every question, we must know the answers to the primary questions.” – Lawrence E. Corbridge, LDS Seventy, BYU Devotional, Stand Forever, January 22, 2019

The Church might help some people, but it doesn’t have exclusive access to God. No religion does.

Claiming Your Own Authority

At wasmormon.org, we don’t believe that doubt is a sin. It’s an invitation to clarity. We aim to create a safe space for:

  • Believers who question whether the Church is what it claims.
  • Those in transition who are wrestling with fear, guilt, or loss of community.
  • Ex-Mormons who have moved on but want to share their story and help others.

When you see Mormonism as just another tribe, you no longer need to fear leaving it. You are not walking away from “the truth.” You are stepping into your own authority—the ability to seek truth, meaning, and connection on your own terms.

The Church is not the one and only true church. It is simply a human-made structure that, like countless others, tries to give people answers and belonging. Sometimes it succeeds, sometimes it fails. In either situation, it is not divine in its origin or exclusive in its truth.

A Safe Space

If you feel your faith shaking, know this: you are not alone. The feelings of betrayal, confusion, or liberation are shared by many.

The tribe of Mormonism may have been your home. But you are free to explore beyond it. You are free to recognize that all tribes are man-made—and you are free to form your own path. Mormonism is a tribe. It is not the tribe. And you have the right to seek truth wherever it leads.

At wasmormon.org, we collect and share stories from people who’ve walked this path. Your story matters. Adding your voice helps others find the courage to question, doubt, and discover their own authority.

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